


Tony's Right

by RaeSone99



Category: NCIS
Genre: Banter, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Friendship, Future Fic, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Probie love, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-04
Updated: 2013-06-04
Packaged: 2017-12-13 23:48:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/830244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeSone99/pseuds/RaeSone99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A slice of life set in the future. A few years after Season 10 Gibbs has taken a forced retirement to Mexico but decides to check in on the team to see how they're doing without him.  Follows Tony's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tony's Right

**Author's Note:**

> still no beta so please keep the heat on low ;)

“Thank you, Tony,” Ziva breezed past him into the lobby, her elbow lightly tapping his stomach as she did so. He knew his coworkers thought it was odd, considering there were several other doors she could take without Tony bogarting most of the entrance, but it was their version of a hug. Just without the hugging part.

Tony tried not to groan as the lobby’s AC system hit him. When he’d picked out his suit this morning he’d done so specifically for the lighter threads because he had been unbearably hot. He’d even accused Ziva of moving the thermostat, which she, tired of his whining and irritated from an earlier fight, denied rather insistently. His left shoulder and thumb throbbed as he remembered. He hated being sick but if he went home he’d be so bored.

They both stepped into the elevator.

“And that was when they made me queen of the Ewoks.”

“Mmhm”

“Tony, you have not listened to a word I said!”

His immediate reaction was to deny it,

“What? Yes I- no. No I haven’t,” he was too tired to even pretend.

Ziva pursed her lips evaluating his hunched shoulders, the sheen of sweat on his forehead, and probably his lank hair. It just didn’t look like he liked it.

 “ _You_ are sick. You should go home.”

“I’m not sick. I just have a craving for Lifetime movies and soup, both of which can wait until after this case.”

Ziva frowned at him, “Go home before you infest the rest of us!”

“Infect and I can’t. If I do McGee will be in charge. You know how the power goes to his head. And what’s Dorneget gonna do in the field without me? He’d be an even bigger mess than he already is.”

“He’d do just fine. Besides, at least he doesn’t become a mute when you’re around.”

“Ah, Mia.” Tony sniffed, and hoped beyond hope that Ziva hadn’t caught it.

Mia Barnes was their newest probationary officer. She was smart, capable, and trained in several different forms of martial arts. She also seemed a little intimidated by Ziva and showed it by keeping her mouth shut anytime the older agent entered the room.

“She only does that around you.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Ziva suggestively, “Maybe she likes you.”

Ziva thrust a tissue at him, “No, Dorneget caught her making out with Fischer a week ago.”

Tony’s mouth dropped open, sniffle forgotten, “A week?! Why didn’t you tell me? We could have played mind games on them!”

Ziva averted her eyes and even not-sick he caught the way her shoulders stiffened, “You were focused on other things.”

_Right. The fight._

Seeing that she was still upset he jabbed the emergency stop button. The shadows on their faces took on a weird blue cast, helping the feeling that he’d stopped time itself..

“Look, I’m sorry.”

Surprised by his capitulation, Ziva stared at him, her shoulders easing downward. Her eyes asked him ‘why even bother with a fight if you’re going to give up so easily?’ He shrugged minutely,

“It’s just that I can’t shake the feeling that one day he’ll just march back in and,” Tony began a Gibbs slap to the back of his own head. Ziva caught his wrist mid swing, a little startled by the amount of force he put into it.

“We know where he is, and he knows that we know. If he wanted to come back he would have by now. Plus, I think the director made his terms for Gibbs' return very clear.”

They stood facing each other in the cool auxiliary lights remembering the shouting match between Vance and Gibbs two years ago. The Director had finally given Gibbs an ultimatum. The only threat that worked- he offered Gibbs a promotion. Gibbs walked out without another word, handed Tony, who’d been eavesdropping with the team, the key to his file cabinet, and called out, ‘I’ll be in Mexico’ as the elevator doors closed. That was the last they’d seen of the man, the legend, the Gibbs.

Every now and then when things were going really well Tony would get paranoid and start a fight with Ziva or McGee until they figured out what was really bothering him. The time before this one McGee called his wife when he realized what was happening,

“False alarm, honey. I’m not quitting this week, Tony’s just being Tony.” He hung up and glared at Tony, “He’s not coming back. Give it up.”

But some days Tony would have promised anyone who’d listen that he could feel Gibbs watching them.

Ziva slid her hand down his wrist and gave his hand a squeeze, jerking him back into the present.

He cleared his throat and confided in her, glad that he could,

“Then why do I feel like that kid whose dad went to get ‘cigarettes’?”

A small sad smile shaped Ziva’s lips. She knew a thing or two about wanting yet fearing a loved one’s return. Five years later and her heart still twinged at the thought of Eli. And she missed Gibbs almost as fiercely as Tony and McGee did.

Tony searched her eyes, trying to read her mind. Placing a gentle palm to his scorching cheek she told him what Schmiel told her that night long ago.

“It’s not going to happen overnight Tony. First you have to get used to the idea that he’s gone…”

Tony made an impatient noise in his throat, “But it’s been _two years!_ Maybe there’s something wrong with the way my mind works.”

Ziva swallowed down the quick insult that leapt to her mind, and instead said assertively, “There’s nothing wrong with you. He was in your life for over ten years. It would be strange if you didn’t miss him or think about him.”

Tony opened his mouth but she kept talking, “It’s day by day, Tony and IF he comes back,” Tony’s eyes darted away so she rubbed her thumb on his cheek to reclaim his attention, “we will deal with it _then_. Okay?”

He smiled at her softly, grateful for her understanding and comfort. Leaning closer he moved in to show her his appreciation.

Ziva had other ideas. With a deft step, she leaned away from Tony so that she could turn off the emergency stop. The white elevator fluorescents left him blinking like a bat and he had to steady himself on the rail as the elevator jolted them apart to resume its ascent.  Tony stared at Ziva amused.

“Really?”

A crafty smile snuck onto her face before she could help it, “You are still very vulnerable. I would not want to take _advantage_ of you,” she teased.

Tony stared at her shrewdly, “And by that you mean that you don’t want to get sick.”

The elevator dinged as the doors opened to their floor. Ziva walked into the bullpen triumphantly, “A Ha! So you admit to being sick!”

“No. I just-Hey!” Tony, busy searching for more tissue, bumped into Ziva’s back. His exclamation died in his throat when he saw what drew her up short.

Tim, Abby and Palmer were clustered around McGee’s desk with 20s in their hands, watching as Mia bent Dorneget over Tony’s desk in an arm lock.

“Aah! Mercy! You win! You win!” Dorneget yelped.

“Say it!”

Dorneget whispered something but Mia didn’t let up, “So everyone can hear you.”

“No way! Augh! Okay ok. You’re better at judo than I am! Now will you please let me up?”

Dorneget was almost panting at this point.

Ziva and Tony exchanged a glance. 

Ziva silently approached and stood behind the pair, waited until Mia took a swig of her Pepsi, and then said, “Nice work.”

Mia did a spit take all over Dorneget’s shoes. Dorneget didn’t seem to notice though.

“Hi Boss! How much did you? How long have you?” he stammered.

McGee snickered and Palmer and Abby left looking disappointed.

Tony coughed, to clear his throat, not because he was sick.

“Long enough to see that you need to practice escaping holds more.”

Both probies blushed the exact same shade of crimson.

Ziva sauntered into her desk space before turning to Mia who true to form hadn’t said a word, “I find it works quicker if you squeeze the thumb like this,’ she demonstrated the technique on her own hand.

Mia nodded and Ziva was halfway to a sigh before Mia, in a shy voice said, “Thank you.”

Delighted that her probie had finally spoken to her Ziva responded with a broad smile, “You are most welcome.”

Across the aisle Tony saw Dorneget give Mia a reassuring thumbs up before rubbing his shoulder.

Tony eyed his desk. On top of his inbox was another box of papers.

A literal box.

DiNozzo shut one eye and then the other but the brown cube remained where it was. He stood up suddenly,

“Alright team. Play time is over. Dorneget go get some ice for that shoulder,” Dorneget made a motion to go. “ _After_ I finish! Sit down. Probationary Officer Barnes you’re with McGee today, Dorneget with David. We’ve got a Navy culinary specialist missing. Goes by Marc Jones. He’s rumored to have ties with HomeGrown, a terrorist group that’s…well…homegrown. He was last seen at 0400 hours aboard the USS Quayle. Find him. _I_ will be at casa David-DiNozzo watching women get revenge on their no good husbands. Call me if you need me. I’ll be checking in. Are there any questions?”

Four voices spoke at once.

“I’m not doing your paperwork Tony,” McGee griped.

“Is this your way of admitting that you’re sick?” Ziva asked.

“Shotgun!” called Mia.

“What’s this on my shoes?” cried Dorneget.

Tony massaged his temple, “Only two of those were questions but: Fine. No. Probies sit in the back, and Pepsi. Any questions regarding this case?”

Silence.

“Alright. Case is all yours Tim; you do the honors.”

McGee, in his best Gibbs impersonation, called, “Grab your gear.’ And the team rolled out. Tony watched, trying to figure out if the tingling sensation in his chest was pride at his team or another symptom. He wondered if there was any soup in the apartment.

As he shuffled into the second elevator his phone vibrated.

'Soups in the cabinet. Miss you.’

Tony smiled and then frowned.  It wasn’t until he’d unlocked his car that an idea came to him. Whipping out his phone he chuckled mischievously.

‘Tell Tim I said let you drive on the way back. Love Tony.’

He knew McGee wouldn’t mind. 

Tony grinned and put away his phone before backing up. He could just picture their terrified faces! Maybe being sick wouldn’t be so bad.

 

Off in the distance an older man with silver hair and piercing eyes to match smiled to himself before turning back towards the airport. He’d made the right call. They were doing just fine.


End file.
